Liquid cooling and display device



April 14, 1942. T, MCCLANAHAN 2,279,629-

LIQUID COOLING AND DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Oct. 16, 1939 a Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR 7740/1/15 GJVKCLAHAHHH April 14, 1942.

Filed Oct. 16, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 77/0M/15 6. MCmmqm4wATTORNEY April 14, 1942. I; MCCLANAHAN 2,279,629

LIQUID COOLING AND DISPLAY EVICE Filed Oct. 16, 1939 3 Sl'ieets-Sheet 3I INVENTOR 77/0MAs G. McCm vA/m/u ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1942uni'reo stars eras-r caries LIQUKD COOLING AND DKSPLAY DEVICE Thomas G.McClanahan, Seattle, Wash. Application October 16, 1939, Serial No.299,691

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in beverage cooling anddispensing means, and it has reference more particularly to a counterfixture of an ornamental and display type, designed for the cooling,displaying and dispensing of beer and which, in use, is interposed inthe pipe connection between the source of supply of ,uncooled beer andthe dispensing tap, and comprises a cooling compartment of such volumeas to contain, at all times, a sufficient quantity that all beerdispensed therefrom will be cooled to the desired extent before reachingthe dispensing tap.

More specifically stated, the present invention resides in the provisionof a cylindrical, glass vessel, closed at its upper and lower ends in amanner whereby to withstand the usual liquid and gas pressure underwhich beer is kept, and in which vessel refrigerating coils are locatedfor cooling the beer by direct contact therewith; there also being a tapfor the dispensing of cooled beer, and an open pipe connection leadinginto the vessel from a source of supply for the automatic admission ofbeer into the vessel in accordance with any outflow incident to theopening of the tap.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a device of thekind above stated wherein beer or the like may be quickly cooled andfrom which it may be dispensed in its original solid state as deliveredfrom the source of supply; that is, with the gas as originally occludedwith the liquid.

It is also an object of this invention to provide for the admittance ofbeer into the upper is:

end of the vessel, from the supply pipes through a plurality ofdownwardly directed jets whereby to form a head on the beer displayed inthe glass vessel, and to so direct some of these jets that the insidesurface of the glass vessel through which contents of the vessel isviewed will be kept clean of bubbles or foam that would obstruct theview of the vessels contents, thus to enhance the display.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a beer displayingand cooling vessel so contails of construction, the preferred forms ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 isan elevation of a beer cooling and dispensing device embodied by thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the device as seen on the line2-2 in Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 3 is a central, vertical section of the device.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of a part of the device.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of the system of connectionbetween a source of sup ply of liquid and the present cooling device.

It will here be mentioned that while I havedescribed and illustrated thepresent device as being for the display and cooling of beer, it is notintended that it be limited to this particular beverage, since it isjust as applicable for the display and cooling of many other beverages.Referring more in detail to the drawings-- In its preferred form ofconstruction, the present device is made as a counter fixture foreffective display of the beverage being served and cooled, andtl'lerefor e, it preferably would be.

made of an ornamental character. As shown best in Fig. 3, the coolingdevice comprises an annular, upper end plate ll] and a circular, lowerend plate ll between which plates there is disposed acylindric'al,.metallic housing or tube 12. This tube is locatedcoaxially within a cylindrical glass housing is of greater diameter,thereby providing an annular space M between them, in which the beer tobe cooled is'rece'ived. Outside the glass housing I3 are concentricallyarranged glass cylinders 15 and it of such diameter as to providesuccessive insulating air spaces H and it outside of the beer containingcylinder l3, and all of these cylinders [2, I3, 15 and i6 are of thesame length and at their upper and lower ends have liquid and gas-tightconnection with the upper and lower end closure plates Hi and l I.

It will also be noted by reference to Fig. 3, that the upper and lowerends of the several cylindrical members l2, l3, l5 and it, rest,respectively, againstrubber gaskets l9 and 20, of rubber or othersuitable material, which are disposed against the closure plates, andthat a clamping rod 2!, located coaxially of the assembly, retains theparts in assembled relationship. The rod 21, in this instance, isthreaded at its lower end into a boss 22 formed centrally on the lowerend plate II, and extends at its upper end through the central hubportion 24 of a spider frame 24a that bears against the top plate H1.The upper end of this clamp rod is equipped with a nut l that may betightened thereon to draw the plates l0 and I I tightly against the endsof the cylinders, thus to prevent any possible leakage of beertherefrom,

Closely encircling the metallic, cylindrical housing [2 is a coolingpipe coil 30 of close helically formed coils, which extend substantiallythe full length of the cylinder. Opposite ends of this pipe coil extendin a non-leaking manner through the tube wall and then downwardlythrough the lower end plate II, and connect, through horizontal passagesin a boss 3| that is cast on the under side of plate H, with circulationpipes 32 and 33, as noted in. Fig. 2. These pipes connect with anysuitable type of refrigeration system using a circulating liquidrefrigerant and thus provide for the flow of cooling liquid through thepipe coils 30 for cooling the contents of the cylinder l3 by directcontact.

In order that the coils 30 will not detract from the ornamentalappearance of the device, or leave the impression that they are coils inwhich beer is cooled, I prefer to enclose them in a thin stainless steelcylinder 35 which is formed with longitudinal slits, as at 36, to permitready contact of the beer with the coils. The coils in this case arechromium plated for insuring protection.

The close contact of the cooling coils 30 with the metallic housing l2and with the metallic cylinder or shell 35 insures an effectivedissipation of heat from the'beverage to the cooling coils, resulting ina quicker and more efiicient cooling effect, and the longitudinalslotting of the cylinder which encloses the coils permits readycirculation of beverage about the coils.

Beer is dispensed from the vessel through a tap 40, which may be of theusual kind generally used and which is threaded into the boss 3| whereit connects with a passage 4| Opening upwardly at its inner end throughthe plate ll into the cooling compartment l4.

Beer is supplied to the cooler through a pipe connection 45 leading froma source of supply under pressure, to a passage 46 in the boss 3|, withwhich passage a pipe 41 leads upwardly inside the cylinder or tube I2and at its end is connected with a passage 48 in a boss 50 formed on theupper end of the cylinder 12, and extending to the inside of compartmentl4." As seen in Fig. 4, two arcuate pieces of tubing 52 and 53, connectwith this boss 50 and communicate with the passage therein to receivebeer from the supply pipe 41, and they extend horizontally partiallyabout the cylinder, as noted in Fig. 4. In these pipes are a pluralityof outwardly and downwardly directed jet openings 55 through which thebeer is discharged into the container, as observed best in Fig. 5.

There is also a gas vent valve 56 of suitable kind, applied to the upperend plate It), as observed in Fig. 3, to vent the beer receiving spacewhen such is desired for any reason and also, there is a drain providedas is designated at 51 for the space enclosed by the center cylinder l2permitting it to be used as an ice receptacle if such should be desired.

In using the device, assuming that the cooling coils are properlyconnected, with a refrigerant circulating system and that the beersupply pipes are connected as described. Beer will be admitted to thespace l4 from its source of supply incident to opening the tap 40. Thebeer, as admitted, will mix with that already in the vessel and will bequickly cooled by reason of its mixing with cooled beer and its directcontact with the cooling coils 30. It is then ready at all times to bedispensed.

On opening the tap 40, the pressure exerted from the source of supplythrough pipe 41 causes the beer to be discharged, and as it dischargesthrough the tap, the supply in the cooler will be replenished by a likeamount of beer delivered through the pipe jets 55. This jet delivery ofbeer causes the formation of a head on the displayed beer and also, byreason of some of the jets being directed toward the glass walls of thevessel, will keep the glass clear of bubbles or foam that otherwisewould obstruct the view of the inflowing beer and be detrimental to thedisplay.

The insulating air spaces about the beer containing cylinder preventoutside temperatures from affecting the cooled beer, and the end wallsof the container may be additionally insulated, if such is desired, suchas by use of cork blocks as noted at 60 in Fig. 3 overlaying the endplates.

In Fig. 6, I have diagrammatically illustrated a preferred manner inwhich the present cooler may be connected with kegs of beer forcontinuous supply of fresh product. For this purpose the supply pipe 45is attached to a Y valve 15 having the two connections 16 and 11 thereofconnected in the usual way respectively to supply kegs l8 and I9 of beerby hose connections and 8|; Pressure of air or gas is supplied to thekegs in the usual manner as from the pressure tank 85. Assuming thevalve 16 to be closed and the valve 11 open, then the supply is drawnfrom keg 19. As soon as this is empty, valve 11 is closed and valve '6opened. Thus the stale beer in the cooler, which is the last from thedepleted keg, will be charged and rejuvenated by the inflow from thefresh keg, and it is not necessary that all be used from the cooler, assupplied from one keg, before the fresh supply is connected.

It will be explained that the last gallon or half gallon of beer drawnfrom a keg is usually flat and in most cases is thrown away. In the useof this cooler, there is always a supply of cooled beer on hand in thevessel and when a keg is empty, there will be approximately a gallon ofbeer in the cooler, this is not drawn on until after the connection tothe empty keg has been closed and the connection to the fresh kegopened, allowing the beer from the fresh keg to mix with that in thecooler to rejuvenate it and overcome the flat effect. Thus it is alwayspossible to serve a fresh glass of beer.

To finish off the ornamental features of the device, a spun, or formedskirt 65 and top 66 of ornamental nature are applied about lower andupper ends of the device, as noted in Fig. 3 and legs 61 of anornamental and suitable kind are attached to the base plate II. Also, aplate or apron 68 is applied to the base, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, tooverlie'the pipe connectionsand add ornamentation to the device.

The device, as above described and as illustrated, is not only a veryeffective cooler for beer, but also is of 'an ornamental character andvery attractively displays the'cooled beer. In use, the beer will bedispensed in its solid form from the tap, and with the same occlusion ofgas as in the usual manner of dispensing beer.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new therein andLetters Patent is- 1. A liquid cooling and dispensing device comprisinga central cylindrical housing and a series of spaced, cylindrical glassvessels of different diameters concentrically arranged about the saidcentral housing and forming an annular, cylindrical liquid-tightcompartment adjacent the inner hOuSing, and a succession of insulatingair compartments surrounding the said liquid compartment, a series ofcooling coils for a circulated refrigerant formed about the innerhousing for cooling its contents by direct contact, an open supply pipeleading from a source of supply of liquid under pressure into the upperend of the liquid compartment to maintain the vessel substantially fulland a dispensing tap connected with the lower end of the liquidcompartment; said supply pipe connecting in the compartment withhorizontally disposed delivery tables each desire to secure by equippedwith a plurality of downwardly directed jets through which the enteringliquid will be discharged into that liquid contained in the vesselincident to any being withdrawn through the tap to form a head thereon.

2. A beverage cooling and dispensing means comprising a liquid-tightouter vessel with transparent display walls and a sealed tubularmetallic housing disposed in the vessel setting off a space thereaboutfor the confining of the beverage, an open pipe leading into the annularspace from a source of supply of beverage under pressure, a dispensingtap for the vessel and a cooling coil for a circulated refrigerantclosely surrounding the metallic housing, and a metallic shell closelyenclosing the coil and formed with slots for the circulation of thebeverage therethroughand about the coils.

THOMAS G. MCCLANAHAN.

